Xander Harris: BadAss Wicca?
by Nomma
Summary: Response to magicangel's "What if Xander Did Magic" challenge on Twisting The Hellmouth. Xander was the one to cast the curse that gave Angel his soul, and now it's up to him to give the Slayer magical support. Xander/Tara, later X/T/F.
1. Of Curses, Changes, And Charmed Ones

Chapter 1

Sunnydale Memorial Hospital, 1998

"So, Buffy's going for the big showdown, huh? Wish we could help, you know, _without_ dying."

Xander shook his head at his girlfriend. "I don't see how."

Willow spoke up. "I want to try again."

Oz looked at her. "Try what?"

"The curse. We never got to finish it. Maybe we _can _restore Angel's soul."

Xander shook his head. "I don't like it. We're talking about messing with powerful magic, and you're weak."

"I'm okay." The redhead insisted.

"You don't look okay. Does she?" He replied, looking at Cordelia.

She nodded. "You should listen to him. The hair, it's so flat, and the lips-"

Xander rolled his eyes. "Can we stay on topic here, Honey?"

"What?"

"Look, it's not a good idea."

Willow gave him a stern look. "There's no use arguing with me. Do you see my Resolve Face? You've seen it before, you know what it means. This can help Buffy. If we turn Angel back soon enough, we can stop him from ever awakening Acathla."

"Alright, Wills." Xander interrupted. "But if we're going to do this, I don't want _you_ casting it." The brunette moved the spell ingredients away from her, and sat down on the hospital bed. "This is a curse, right? Seems to me, that's seriously Dark Magic. You shouldn't do that for your first spell."

"We don't have much of a choice, Xander!" She looked at him incredulously. "I'm the only witch here!"

Xander shook his head. "That's… not entirely true."

Resolve Face was suddenly aimed right at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He grinned sheepishly. "Well, I've been reading up on it ever since we took out The Master. I've managed a few simple things, levitation, small specks of light, things like that. I think I can handle this, and I know how to purge the Dark energy afterward."

Willow looked at her oldest friend, a look of shock and surprise on her face. Slowly, she nodded. "Okay, Xand. You'll be the main caster. I'll just join in the circle."

Oz rose to his feet. "Okay, I pretty much missed out on some stuff, didn't I? Cause this is all making a kind of sense that's… not."

Willow answered him. "Go with Cordy to the library to get my stuff. She'll fill you in."

Oz nodded. "Sure." He kissed his girlfriend's hand, turned to Cordy, and said, "I'll drive." With that, the two moved to leave the room.

Willow called out again. "Oh, and after you drop her off, go find Buffy and tell her what we're doing. Maybe she can stall." With another nod, Oz left, Cordy at his heels.

***

Angel's Mansion

Buffy stood outside the mansion, carrying the blessed sword. From behind her, she heard a voice. "Buffy." She turned. It was Oz. "I came to tell you, Xander's going to cast the soul curse."

Buffy blinked in surprise. "Xander? I thought Willow…"

Oz nodded. "Yeah, you'd think. Far as I know, Xander's been practicing magic for about a year, and he didn't want Willow casting a curse for her first spell." He shrugged. "Willow thinks he can do it. Good enough for me."

Buffy laughed. "Wow, Oz. I think that's a record-length statement for you." Oz just gave his usual half-grin. Buffy handed him a stake. "I need you to get Giles out, okay? Get him to the hospital."

Oz nodded. "Sure."

***

Farther Inside the Mansion

"Acathla... Mundatus sum... pro te necavi. Sanguinem meum... pro te effundam... quo me dignum... esse demonstrem."

Translation: "Acathla... I am cleansed... here before you. My blood... flowing before you... makes me worthy... as I demonstrate."

***

Sunnydale Memorial

Xander took a deep, steadying breath. "Are we ready?"

Cordelia nodded. "Stinky herbs are a go."

***

The Mansion

"Now Acathla." Angelus reached to his right, and Drusilla handed him a dagger. "You will be free." He drew the blade across his hand, wincing slightly, but not letting the pain interrupt the ritual. "And so will we all."

Buffy stepped slowly, and quietly, out of the shadows. "Hello, lover."

Angelus turned to face her. "I don't have time for you." He said, in a bored tone.

Buffy snorted. "You don't have a lot of time _left._"

***

The Hospital

Xander sat in a chair, positioned so that Willow and Cordelia could be on either side of him. "Return… I call on…." Suddenly, Xander's head dipped down.

Cordelia moved closer, concerned. "Xander?"

Xander shot back up, his eyes completely black. "Te implor, Doamne, nu ignora aceasta rugaminte."

Cordelia jumped back, and looked at Willow. "Is this a good thing?" Willow could only shrug helplessly.

"Nici mort, nici al fiintei..."

Cordelia looked at her boyfriend, thoroughly freaking out. "Hey, speak English!"

"Lasa orbita sa fie vasul care-i va transporta, sufletul la el."

***

The Mansion

"Now that's everything, huh? No weapons... No friends... No hope. Take all that away, and what's left?"

Angelus drew back, and thrust the sword straight at Buffy's face. With lightning fast reflexes, she swung both hands forward, catching the tip of the sword with the palms of her hands.

"Me."

She shoved the blade away from her, the hilt of the sword hitting Angelus in the face. He staggered back, which gave her time to hop to her feet and kick him in the chest. He stumbled back even more, and she reached down and picked up her sword. She swung it around and thrust at him, but he managed to parry. They exchanged several blows, blocking each other. Buffy spun around and swung her sword down at him from above. He held up his own to block, but she hit it hard and he fell to one knee. She swung again, and he blocked. She spun around with a roundhouse kick to his side, and he collapsed to the ground. Buffy kicked Angelus, and he came flying in through the door, hitting the floor and rolling to a stop. Before he could get all the way back to his feet Buffy leapt in and swung her sword at him. He almost missed parrying her blow, and stepped back to get his footing. They exchanged a few more swings. Angelus missed a block and gets sliced on his hand.

***

The Hospital

"Asa sa fie! Asa sa fie! Acum!"

***

Angelus dropped his sword and held his cut. Buffy kicked his face, and he fell backward into Acathla, landing on his knees before her.

***

"Acum!" The Orb of Thessula glowed brightly for a brief moment and goes dark. Xander suddenly relaxed, and looks around blankly. "Did it work?"

***

Cut to the mansion. Buffy raises her sword to dispatch Angelus, but

Buffy raised her sword, ready to dispatch Angelus, but stopped herself when he suddenly gasped loudly and groaned in pain. His eyes glow bright yellow for an instant, then went back dark. He looked up at her, but quickly collapsed to the floor, crying. Buffy stared down at him, still holding her sword. Angel raised himself back up, his eyes heavy with tears, and looked into her eyes.

"Buffy? What's going on?"

She just looked at him, confused but not yet ready to lower the sword. He looked around a bit and got to his feet.

"Where are we? I-I don't remember."

Finally Buffy realized what happened. The curse worked! _Xander did it!_ She crowed silently.

"Angel?"

Angel looked her over, and gasped softly. "You're hurt."

She looked down at her wound, feeling his gentle touch on her arm. She ignored it, looking back up at him and stepping closer. He embraced her tightly.

"Oh, Buffy... God. I... I feel like I haven't seen you in months."

Buffy held him tightly, sighing.

"Oh, my God, everything's so muddled. I... Oh..."

He sighed deeply, kissing her on the shoulder.

"Oh, Buffy..."

She cried into his shoulder, hugging him back. Behind him Acathla let out a low rumble. Buffy opened her eyes and stared in shock as Acathla's face contorted. His brows angled down, his eyes glowed red, his mouth opened grotesquely, and the swirling vortex to Hell opened, small at first, but growing steadily in size and emanating a deep, red glow. Buffy let go of Angel and looked up into his face.

"What's happening?" Angel asked, confused.

Buffy whispered to him reassuringly. "Shh. Don't worry about it."

She brushed her fingers over his lips and across his cheek. She laid her hand on his cheek and kissed him softly. He returned the kiss, and it became more passionate. Behind them the vortex had grown to about five feet across and continued to get larger. Buffy broke off the kiss and looked deeply into Angel's eyes.

Buffy: I love you.

Angel: I love you.

She touched his lips with her fingers again.

"Close your eyes."

She nodded reassuringly, and he closed his eyes. She tried not to start crying, and kissed him again gently. She stepped back, drew back her sword, and thrust it into his chest. His eyes shot open in surprise and pain, and a bright light emanated from the sword. She stepped away from him. He reached out to her and looked down at the sword thrust completely through him. He looked at her imploringly, completely bewildered by this turn of events. She could only stare at the sword protruding from his chest, and slowly stepped further back.

"Buffy..."

Behind him the power of the sword began to swirl into the vortex. Buffy stepped further back still, looking only at the sword in his chest and not into his face. The vortex was now about twelve feet across, and the two energies begin to interact. Angel still held out his hand to Buffy. When the vortex finally met him it suddenly closed into Acathla's mouth without so much as a spark, taking him with it. Buffy stared at the stone demon for a long moment, a light of awareness dawning in her eyes as she truly realized what she had done, what she had lost. She began to sob, her heart breaking.

***

Sunnydale Memorial

Xander stood, somewhat shakily. "I've got to find out if it worked…" He took a step forward, and started to fall.

Cordelia caught him. "Hold on, dweeb boy. You aren't going anywhere right now."

He pushed away from her. "Back off, Cordy. I have to get out of here, one way or another. Even if I don't go after Buffy, I have to get to my bedroom. I purged it of the Hellmouth's energy, so I can use it as a safe area to cleanse myself."

Cordy looked as though she was going to protest, but Oz came through the door to the ER, half carrying, half dragging Giles inside. Cordy moved immediately to help, and Xander slipped away quietly.

He made it home safely enough, and snuck into his room through the window, not wanting to disturb his parents. They were no doubt into a nice drunken stupor, and he had learned long ago not to interrupt that. He moved back a rug on his hardwood floor, revealing the pentacle he had drawn, sat down, and began expelling the dark energies the curse had left in his body, letting them go into the ether.

It took the better part of an hour, but he did manage to center himself. Just as he was finishing, his father burst in through the door. That is to say, he didn't open the door violently. He came in _through_ the door. "Boy! I need you to run to the liquor-" He saw the pentacle, a look of confusion on his face. "What the- Boy, what the hell are you doing?! That's devil worship!"

Xander tried to explain. "No, Dad, it's-"

"Save it!" His father roared. "I won't have that in my house! Get out!"

"But, Dad-"

"GET OUT!" Tony Harris began throwing whatever was handy at his son. Xander quickly threw up a shield spell, and all the thrown items were deflected harmlessly. Tony looked at his son in fear, and quickly left the room.

Xander knew what would happen next, so he grabbed a bag, and began stuffing clothes into it, along with all his magical items. He also grabbed a broken yellow crayon. He ran to the window, and hopped out, just missing Tony coming back with a fully loaded shotgun.

Xander kept running, not looking back at all. _Alright. I can't stay with Wills right now, since her parents are actually in town. Buffy's got her own stuff to sort out, so I don't want to impose on her. Cordelia…_ He paused. His relationship with Queen C had been steadily deteriorating. No, he couldn't stay with her either. No one in Sunnydale would do… _So I'll have to leave. I'll tell the others, and head to San Francisco. Aunt Patricia's family is out that way._

With a game plan in mind, he headed to the nearest pay phone. He called Willow first, who started babbling as soon as he had finished explaining. He calmed her down, explained that he would be back as soon as he could, and hung up. He called Buffy's house, but Joyce answered. He asked her to pass the message along, and she agreed, but she seemed distant. He would have inquired further, but he had another important call to make.

He dialed Cordy's cell number.

*Hello?*

"Cordy? It's Xander."

*Xander! Where the hell are you?!*

"I'm at a pay phone. I have to leave town for a while…"

*What? Why? Don't you realize that we need you here?!*

"Cordy, my Dad-"

*I don't care! Willow's still in the hospital, Giles is a mess, Buffy's off doing who-knows- what, and you're leaving?! Well, don't expect much from me if you come back!*

Xander's jaw set, and he spoke with a cold tone. "Fine, Cordelia. I won't. Good luck with all your shit, you stuck up bitch." Without another word, he hung up, and made his way to the bus station.

He had just enough money for a ticket to San Francisco, and as he sat on a bench to wait for his bus, he saw Buffy a few benches over. He moved over to her. "Buffy? What are you doing here?" She looked up. "Xander?" She immediately became defensive. "I'm not going home."

Xander threw up his hands. "Not here to make you." He held up his ticket. "I'm getting out of here." He explained what had happened with his father.

Buffy's eyes softened. "Oh, Xander. I'm so sorry."

He shrugged. "It's no big. I knew it would happen eventually. I just wish I had managed to cast the curse…"

Buffy blinked in confusion. "But… You did."

He looked up, staring into her eyes. "What?"

She nodded. "Right before Acathla started to… He, um, his eyes flashed, and he was Angel again. But, Acathla was already… So, I had to…" She broke down, sobbing.

Xander pulled her into his arms. "Shhhhhh. It'll be okay, Buff."

She shook her head. "I sent my boyfriend to Hell. How is that okay?"

Xander started stroking her hair. "You saved the world. Six billion people are still breathing because of you. I know it doesn't seem like much now, but that's pretty big from where I'm sitting."

Buffy pulled back, her eyes still glistening, but with a small smile. "Thanks Xander."

He nodded. "So, where are you headed?"

She held up her ticket. "LA. You?"

He smiled. "Good ole' San Fran. I've got some family out there I can crash with, maybe even get emancipated. In fact…" He grabbed a pen and some paper out of his bag. "Here's the number. Call me when you get settled in." He handed it to her.

She nodded. "I will." A bus pulled up. "Well," She said, "This is mine. Good luck, Xand."

He nodded. "You too, Buff."

He watched as her bus pulled away, and it wasn't long before his own showed up. As the bus pulled away, he fell asleep, wondering what his cousins were up to.

***

Halliwell Manor.

Piper walked inside her grandmother's old manor. She felt heavy inside, weary. Grams had just died, and it was starting to sink in.

"Prue?" She called out to her older sister.

"In here," She called back, "working on the chandelier."

"Sorry I'm late."

"What else is new? Piper, I would have been here to meet the electrician myself but you know I can't leave the museum until six. I didn't even have time to change."

"I just didn't realize how long I was in China town. Did Jeremy call?"

"No, but he had some roses and a package delivered. What were you doing in China town? I thought that you had an interview in North Beach."

"I did but I went to Young Lee market after my interview to get the ingredients for my audition recipe tomorrow."

"So, that Wolfgang-puck knock-off didn't hire you then?"

"No, but this just may get me the job." She opened the package, revealing a bottle.

"Jeremy sent you port?"

"The ultimate ingredient for my recipe." Piper set the wine down, and noticed something… "Oh my God, I don't believe it. Tell me that's not our old spirit board?"

"Yeah, I found it in the basement when I was looking for the circuit tester."

Piper picked the board up, reading the inscription on the back. "'To my three beautiful girls. May this give you the light to find the shadows. The power of three will set you free. Love, Mom.' We never did figure out what this inscription meant."

"Well, maybe we should send it to Phoebe. That girl is so in the dark, maybe a little light will help."

"You're always so hard on her."

"Piper, the girl has no vision, no sense of the future."

"I really think Phoebe's coming around."

"Well, as long as she doesn't come around here I guess that's good news."

Piper winced. "Um… About that…"

Prue looked up at her, suspicion and worry crossing her face. "Piper, tell me you didn't."

"Well, I would, but I've always felt it's wrong to lie."

Prue groaned. "Oh, well. At least help me with this thing. I've checked the circuit breaker three times. There's no reason the chandelier shouldn't be working."

Piper was about to move to help, when there was a knock at the door. "Who could that be? I'm not expecting Phoebe until later." She opened the door, to find a young man standing on the porch. "Can I help you?"

He grinned. "Hi, Piper."

She blinked. "Do I know you?"

He looked disappointed. "Oh, come on. I know I haven't been around since that pie fiasco a few years ago, but I've got to stick out in your mind."

Her eyes widened. "Alexander?!"

He nodded. "Yep, but it's just Xander."

She wrapped him up in a hug. "Oh, it's so good to see you! I guess someone finally got our message, huh?"

He pulled back. "Message? What message?"

She looked at him, confused. "About Grams. She died."

His eyes widened in shock. "What? When?"

"About six months ago."

He shook his head, bewildered. _Damn. No way I can stay here. They've got enough problems without me. _ "Wow… Uh, okay. I'll just… Yeah. I'll see you when I find a shelter, or something."

She reached out to touch his shoulder. "Wait. Why would you need to stay in a shelter?"

He held up his bag. "Dad kicked me out, finally. I was going to try to stay here for a little while, at least until I had enough money to get a place of my own, but you guys have enough going on…"

Piper shook her head. "Don't even think about it. No way am I letting you stay anywhere else. Grams would have let you stay, and so will I." She pulled him inside.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be in the way."

She nodded. "I'm sure. We just have to tell Prue."

He visibly shuddered at that. "Do we really have to? I mean, unless she's become less of a hard ass since I last saw her…"

Piper shook her head. "Sadly, no. In fact, if anything, she's gotten worse."

"Who's gotten worse?" Prue asked as she walked up.

Xander spoke quickly. "No one! Hi, Prue."

She smiled. "Alex! What are you doing here?"

He smiled back. "It's Xander, and, well…" He explained, omitting the magic details, what had happened with Tony.

Prue made a disgusted noise. "That ass… He was always trouble, even back when he first met Grams. Tried to tell her off about how she and mom were taking care of us. He got an earful after that, and Grams tried to tell Aunt Jessica what happened, but…" Xander nodded. "Yeah. I've heard the story a few times when mom was sober enough to actually speak. It wasn't often, but it did happen."

Before the conversation could go any further, the front door opened behind them. "Hey! Found the hide-a-key!" Pheobe walked in. "Hey, guys!" She was wearing a big grin. She walked over to the group. "What's up?"

Piper hugged her younger sister. "Oh, nothing much. We're just having a little family reunion here."

Phoebe noticed Xander standing behind Piper. "Xander! Hi! How are you?" She gave him a hug, which he returned.

"Finally, someone gets it right." He grinned. "I'm good, Phoebe. Yourself?"

She pulled back, returning his grin. "Oh, I'm good. Been going to college, although tuition's been getting a little expensive… Good thing I've got this place, huh?"

Xander blinked rapidly. "Um, what?"

She looked at him strangely. "Well, Piper invited me back here."

Prue raised an eyebrow. "Did she? Piper, can we talk?"

The two sisters moved off to the other room, leaving Xander and Phoebe in the entrance hall. They were quiet for a moment, until Phoebe decided to break the silence. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Mostly the same as you, except my father kicked me out." He shrugged. "Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't do it a long time ago. He's never really been that fond of me."

Phoebe furrowed her brow. "But… he's your dad. Isn't there some kind of genetic prerogative that says he has to love you, or something?"

Xander laughed. "Don't I wish. No, I think he was just waiting until I was old enough that he wouldn't get arrested for kicking me out. And, really, I'm glad to be out of there. It wasn't the most… nurturing environment."

At that moment, Prue and Piper came back. "Okay." Prue began. "Piper's explained everything to me, and you can both stay without any complaints from me." Xander and Phoebe both let out sighs of relief. Neither of them were fond of defying Prue. The woman could be downright scary…

Xander grinned. "Great. What kind of time table am I looking at?"

Prue looked confused for a second, then grinned. "No, Xander. When I said you can stay, I meant for as long as you need to. We won't kick you to the curb."

Xander blinked in surprise. "Whoa. Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah, really. You're family. And as long as you don't blow up any more pies…"

He laughed at that. "Deal. Although, if I see a rat in the pie, I can't be held responsible for my actions." The sisters laughed at that, and then the two new housemates went upstairs to drop off their things.

While Xander was unpacking, Phoebe found the spirit board, which Prue had put in her room. She began playing with it, smiling as she remembered all the times she and her sisters had gotten "messages from beyond" when they were younger. As soon as she touched it, however, the pointer began moving violently. She screamed, and Xander ran into the room.

"What is it?!"

She pointed to the board. First, the pointer passed over the A, Then the T. It began to move again, but then went back to the T. Finally, it passed over the I, and the C. Xander furrowed his brow. "Attic? What's in the attic?"

Phoebe looked at him. "Who cares?! The spirit board is possessed!"

He nodded. "And if it wasn't called a 'spirit board,' that might surprise me."

Prue and Piper ran into the room. "What's going on?" They both asked. Phoebe explained. Prue was the first to speak. "So… the spirit board moved. All on it's own." Phoebe nodded. "Isn't that what it's supposed to do?"

Phoebe, who was still panicking, exclaimed, "Not if I'm not even touching it!"

Xander nodded. "It's true. I saw it."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Come on, you two. You just moved in. Isn't it a little early to start pranking us?"

Phoebe looked at her sister incredulously. "What?! Why would I make something like this up?!"

Xander jumped in quickly. "Okay! Stop! Why don't we just go up to the attic? We can see if there's anything worth sending a message from the great beyond about." The sisters, after calming down a bit, agreed.

The four of them went upstairs. Prue had some concerns, since they had never found the key to the attic door, but Xander opened it without a problem. Prue was surprised, but kept quiet. In the middle of the room, there was a book on a pedastal. Xander moved over to it. "Let's see. 'The Book of Shadows.' _That's_ not ominous at all…" He opened it. "Hey, look at this. There's an inscription.

"Hear now the words of the witches,

the secrets we hid in the night,

the oldest of gods are invoked here,

the great work of magic is sought,

in this night,

and in this hour,

I call upon the Ancient Power,

Bring your powers to we sisters, three,

We want the power,

Give us the power."

Xander shuddered as he felt magic pour out from the book. "Holy- What the hell?"

The sisters looked at him, confused. "What? What happened?"

"You guys didn't feel that?" They all shook their heads.

Prue gave him a look. "Maybe it was your imagination?"

Deciding it would be best not to let his cousins know about the other side of the world, he just nodded. "I guess so. I always did have an active one." He gave a lopsided grin, and went downstairs. _There's definitely _something _going on with that book._ He thought. _That had power in it. Not as much as the Hellmouth, maybe, but still._ He was standing in the entrance hall, when the sisters came in. As one, they passed under the non-functional chandelier. Except, it wasn't so non-functional…

It lit up brighter than it ever had before, letting a blue light wash over them. Xander, who had been standing near-by, clutched his head at the sudden burst of power, blood trickling out of his nose. "Okay, I _know_ you guys noticed that one!" He exclaimed.

Wide-eyed, Phoebe nodded. "Yeah, definitely." Piper nodded as well, and Prue just stood there in shock.

Xander shook his head. "Something strange is going on. First, that book upstairs, now this. This is more power than I've ever felt in this small a space."

Piper looked at him. "What do you mean? You've felt power before?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Sunnydale is on top of a huge mystical convergence, which acts as a mouth to hell. I've been practicing magic for about a year, and aside from the Hellmouth, that's the biggest concentration of power in the state! Maybe even the country."

Prue snorted. "Not the world?" It was obvious she was still in denial.

Xander rolled his eyes. "I don't know. I'm not that well connected, honestly."

Prue shook her head. "Look, there's got to be a reasonable explanation here."

This time, it was Xander's turn to snort. "Oh, yeah? How about this?" He turned to face the small table in the hall. It had a vase on it, full of flowers. He concentrated, and it floated into the air. Phoebe gasped, Piper just stared, and Prue… Well, Prue fainted. Xander rushed to catch her… which broke his concentration, and put the vase back under gravity's thrall. It shattered. Xander winced. "Oops… I've really got to work on that. Um, Piper, are there any smelling salts around here?" Piper nodded, and ran upstairs.

Xander picked Prue up, and moved her to the couch. "Boy. I leave the Hellmouth, and stumble onto a new coven of witches. And not just _any_ coven. They're insanely powerful, and my cousins! That Harris luck never fails." Phoebe laughed nervously, sitting in a chair. "You okay, Pheebs?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I think I just need to sit down."

Xander grinned, slightly. "You _are_ sitting."

Phoebe looked down at the chair. "Oh, hey. Look at that." Xander shook his head, smiling.

"Here we are!" Piper came in with the smelling salts. Xander put them under Prue's nose, and after a few seconds, she slowly woke up.

She groaned. "What the hell…" She realized Xander was kneeling over her. "Was that a dream?"

He shook his head. "Sorry Prue, but no."

She sighed. "Damn."

Xander laughed. "Don't worry. After you see your first vampire, this will seem like nothing."

Her eyes shot wide open. "Vampire?!"

He nodded. "Yeah. They might not be as numerous here as in Sunnydale, but I guarantee there are a few running around the city. I was actually going to start patrolling for them tonight."

Prue pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't want to know that… My _will to live_ doesn't want to know that."

Xander nodded sympathetically. "I know the feeling. I've been doing this for two years now, and I can tell you, it doesn't get any easier."

Piper blinked. "Wait, you said you had been practicing magic for a year. Now you're saying two?"

Xander shook his head. "No, I've only been practicing magic for a year. I've been hunting vampires, and other demons, for two years."

Piper blinked again. "I need a drink."

Phoebe shot up. "Right behind you!"

Prue nodded, and slowly stood. "Yeah, me too."

Xander just chuckled. "Damn. What I wouldn't give to be a few years older."

Prue laughed, and pulled on his arm. "Come on. If you're old enough to fight creatures of the night, you're old enough to drink."

Xander grinned. "See, I've been saying that the entire time, but no one listened. It's a sad existence."

Prue laughed again, and unlocked the liquor cabinet. She pulled out a bottle of vodka. "Here we are." She went into the kitchen, and pulled out four shot glasses, filling them up. The four witches picked them up, and downed them quickly. Prue poured four more, and asked, "So, just how many types of demons are there?"

Xander shrugged. "Hell if I know. I've been reading about this stuff for years now, and I'm still not clear on how many different breeds of _vampires_ there are, let alone the other demons." He knocked the vodka back, and continued. "There's always some new creepy crawly coming out of the woodwork. There was even a demon that you could only see if you were sick. Der Kinderstod."

Phoebe blinked. "Doesn't that mean 'child death'?"

Xander nodded. "Yeah. Liked to hang out in the children's ward…" He shuddered. "Creepy thing." He shrugged. "But, on the upside, it's dead now."

"Did you kill it?" Piper asked.

He shook his head. "No. My friend Buffy, she's the Slayer, killed it. She was sick at the time, so she could see it."

The three sisters spoke as one. "Slayer?"

Xander nodded. "Yeah. Mystically empowered warrior. The spiel goes, 'Into every generation, there is a chosen one. She alone will have the power to stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.' Basically, she's strong, fast, agile, can handle any weapon she picks up automatically, heals quickly, and gets prophetic dreams sometimes. Also, she's got this sixth sense that tells her when a demon is close by. When one dies, another is called." He paused, and tapped his glass. "Think I could get a refill? All this talking is making my throat sore." Prue nodded, and poured him another shot. He drank it, and sighed. "Alright, might as well get comfortable. This turns into a long story pretty quickly…"

***

They talked well into the night, as he filled them in on everything he knew. By the end, they were all thoroughly drunk, and had somehow all managed to get to their respective beds.

When Xander awoke the next morning, his head felt like there was a brass band running around inside. He reached into his bag, and drew a pentacle. He sat down inside it, and began his cleansing ritual. Within minutes, his body was cleared of toxins, and he went downstairs. No one was awake yet, so he decided to make breakfast. He kicked himself when he realized that he had never gotten around to patrolling last night. _Oh, well. There's always tonight, I guess._

He had just finished with breakfast, when Piper came in. She sat down at the island, and groaned. Xander grinned. "Goooooood morning, Piper!"

She glared at him. "What right do you have to be so chipper? You drank more than I did."

He nodded, a huge grin on his face. "Very true, but _I_ know how to center myself and cleanse my body." Again, he got a glare. He laughed, and poured her a cup of coffee. "Here, this should help." She took it, and sat quietly, sipping on it. Prue was next to come in. Unlike Piper, she didn't seem to have the strength to speak. She sat next to her sister, and laid her head down on the counter. Phoebe came in soon after. She seemed fine, if a bit quiet. Xander would later learn this was because she had thrown up before the alcohol went through her system completely.

After a quiet (Especially for those with hangovers) breakfast, they began discussing what they would do now.

Prue was very vocal about maintaining a normal life. "I've got a good job, friends, the whole she-bang! I don't want to give that up."

Piper nodded. "I agree. I'm about to audition for one of the best chef jobs in the city, and Jeremy's coming over later. I can't let this disrupt everything."

Phoebe remained silent. In truth, she didn't have much of a life. Her college days had come to an end, since she couldn't afford tuition, and she had no boyfriend to speak of.

Xander spoke up. "I understand, believe me, I do. But, the sad fact is, a normal life isn't in the cards. For one thing, you're putting out a lot of magical power right now. That's going to attract a lot of attention from the supernatural world. I mean, the Hellmouth brings demons from far and wide. You may not be as powerful, but believe me, you're powerful enough. I've _barely_ begun honing my 'magic sense,' and it's almost too much for me to handle. Once the power hungry demons start coming, it's either fight, flight, or die." The sisters took a moment to process his words.

Then, Piper snarled. "This is all your fault! You read the damn inscription!"

Xander looked at the floor. "Yeah… I know. That's why I'm trying to prepare you for what's coming. I can't change the past. Time travel spells are insanely dangerous. They can wipe the caster from existence if not done properly, and maybe even the whole of existence."

Piper slumped in her seat. "Sorry, Xander. I know you didn't mean to do this. It's just so frustrating…"

Xander nodded. "I know. And believe me, I know the pull of a normal life. Not that I can have one anymore, even if I didn't have magic. I've seen too much. I can't just walk away."

Phoebe looked up. "But, you could get killed! I mean, there are _real demons!_ How can you fight them?!"

Xander shrugged. "I fight however I have to. I know I can get killed, Phoebe. I'm okay with it. I don't expect to live very long at all. But like I said, I can't walk away."

With a sigh, he stood. "Look, I'll leave you guys alone to think about everything I've said. I'll be back in a few hours." With that, he left the manor, and the Charmed Ones were left with their thoughts.


	2. Warlocks Are A Bitch

Chapter 2: Warlocks Are A Bitch

Halliwell Manor

Piper rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Well, what do you guys think?"

Prue sighed. "He's got a point. Even if we don't want to fight, we'll end up doing it, just to defend ourselves. Maybe, as the saying goes, 'The best defense is a good offense.'"

Phoebe nodded slowly. "Yeah. But, what about our lives? Like, what if I want to get married? I couldn't exactly keep something like this from him, could I?"

Piper nodded. "I've got that problem with Jeremy. I think he'd be able to handle it, but what if some /thing/ kidnapped him in order to get to me?" She let out an exasperated sigh.

Prue considered it. "Well, it's either that, or don't date at all. Personally, I don't think I could do that. I don't want to end up alone, especially if I'm going to be fighting evil all the time. That makes for a short existence. The only real option is to make the most of what we have." She didn't look particularly happy about that.

Her sisters nodded grudgingly.

Piper looked up at the clock. "Oh, crap! My audition is in two hours!" She shot out of her seat.

Phoebe looked surprised. "You're still going?"

"We've still got to pay the bills!" Piper called back over her shoulder.

Prue nodded. "She's got a point. I've got to get to the Museum."

Phoebe winced. "Does… does Roger still work there?"

Prue nodded stiffly. "Yeah, he does."

Phoebe looked up at her sister. "I know what you think, but I never-"

Prue cut her off. "I know. I just wanted someone to blame. It's okay."

Phoebe smiled, and hugged her sister. "Have a good day then."

Prue smiled back, and went upstairs.

Phoebe sighed. "Guess it's just me today…"

***

Downtown San Francisco

Xander made his way into downtown, hoping to find something to distract him for the few hours he said he would be out of the house. Nothing really caught his eye, until he heard someone scream.

'_What the hell? It's the middle of the day. Can't be a vampire._' He ran in the direction of the scream. As he drew closer, he heard voices.

"Please, Daddy. I won't do it again…"

"I wish I could believe you, but you never stop! I've got to /beat/ it out of you, obviously."

_That_ was enough for Xander. He'd only been aware of this man for 30 seconds, and already he had a burning dislike for him. He stepped into view. "Obvious, huh? You mean like it's _obvious_ that you're an abusive asshole?"

The man turned around. "This ain't your business, kid. Leave it alone."

Xander shook his head. "Sorry. Can't do that."

The Asshole, as Xander had started thinking of him, snarled, and reached into the waistband of his jeans. He pulled out a pistol. "I ain't playin' here! Leave now!"

Xander smirked. "Yeah, right. Just as soon as you learn proper English. I _highly_ doubt that'll happen, so…"

It appeared that Asshole had had enough. He squeezed off two rounds. They imbedded in the magic shield Xander had summoned. He smirked. "Shouldn't threaten so much. Gave me more than enough time to protect myself."

Asshole snarled again. "Another like _her._" He growled, indicating his daughter. "Fine. You want to protect her so bad? You can _have_ her!" With that, he turned, and walked away.

Xander shook his head. "Oh, no you don't. You aren't getting away that easily." He summoned a barrier in front of the other man. "You've been beating this girl. I can't very well let that go."

Asshole looked at Xander like he was lower than scum. "And what are you gonna do about it?" He asked sarcastically.

Xander smirked, and produced a fireball in his hand. "Oh, there's a lot I can do to you."

"Don't."

This plea came from an unexpected source. The girl, who until now had been sitting on the ground, completely silent, was now standing, and looking at Xander with pleading eyes. "D-don't h-hurt him. J-just let h-him g-go."

Xander looked at her for a moment, silently warring with himself. Asshole had obviously been beating her on a regular basis, and as such deserved whatever Xander did to him. But, could he bring himself to defy her request? She looked as though she would break down in tears if he did…

With a sigh, he let both the barrier and fireball dissipate. Asshole left.

Xander turned to the girl. Her expression managed to be thankful, shy, and fearful all at once. Xander smiled at her. "Hi. I'm Xander Harris."

She looked at the ground. "T-T-Tara. Tara M-McLay."

He stepped closer to her, then stopped when she flinched. He wasn't anywhere near close enough to touch her, and yet she was already anticipating getting hit. '_Jeez… He must have really done a number on her. Well, I'll have to fix that._' "Well, looks like I managed to alienate your dad. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing." He joked, trying to lighten the mood.

She half-smiled at him. "I-it's a g-good th-thing. B-but w-what am I g-going t-to do n-now?"

Xander frowned. That _was_ a problem. He was pretty sure the Halliwells wouldn't mind her staying there, but there wasn't much room in the manor with the four already staying there. He could take the couch, but it would still be crowded. He shook his head. '_Not like I have much choice. I'll have to find a new place, and quickly. Or maybe find a job in Sunnydale… I _will _have to go back, eventually. The Hellmouth is basically unprotected, and I don't know when Buffy'll go back._' He nodded. He'd have to go back. Maybe not right away, but soon. At least by the end of the summer. Until then, he had things to take care of. He turned to Tara. "You'll come with me. Your dad verbally left you in my care, right? So, that's what we'll do."

She looked at him disbelievingly. "W-why w-would you d-do that? I'm n-not g-going to 'th-thank' y-you, i-if that's w-what you think…"

His eyes widened, and he threw his hands up. "No, no! Nothing like that. I wouldn't ask you to do that."

She blinked. "Then why?"

He smiled. "Because, according to my friends, I've got a white knight complex." He shrugged. "You may have noticed, no one else tried to stop him. I've got this thing about doing what I believe is right. Just can't help myself."

She laughed a little. "O-okay, then. W-what n-n-now?"

He thought about it. "Well… First of all, I need to get to a lawyer. I won't be much good to either of us until I can get a place to stay on my own. Either I get emancipated now, or wait for two months until I turn eighteen. Personally, I'm assuming the attitude 'Sooner, the better.' Come on. Let's get going."

Tara followed, a bit confused by what he had said. She hoped this wouldn't turn out worse than her last situation…

***

Halliwell Manor, Five Hours Later

Xander walked inside, pulling Tara along with him. He'd managed to find a decent lawyer, one Cole Turner, who was trying to get into the DA's office. He'd been most helpful in getting Xander emancipated, and had even managed to get Xander's first allowance check that day. In fact, Mr. Turner had been more helpful than Xander would have expected. Once he learned that Xander was related to the Halliwells…

Xander shook it off. It was probably nothing. Xander hadn't sensed anything about the man, so there was no need to read anything into it.

"Hey!" He called. "Anyone home?"

"Just me!" Phoebe called from the living room. "Everyone else went to work."

Xander walked into the living room, and waved at Tara, telling her to follow him. "Hey. This is Tara."

Tara blushed, and looked at the ground.

Phoebe smiled. "Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Phoebe."

Tara looked up, slightly. "H-hi."

Phoebe looked at Xander. "So, how'd you two meet?"

"Let's wait until the others get home. I'd rather only explain this once."

Phoebe nodded. "Sure. No problem."

At that moment, the phone rang. Phoebe picked it up. "Hello?" Pause. "Yeah, sure." She held the phone out to Xander. "It's for you."

"Hello?"

*Hey, Xander*

"Buffy?"

*Yep. You said to call when I got settled, so… This is me. Calling.*

"Great! Where are you staying?"

*I found a one room here in LA, and a job as a waitress. It's not bad.*

"Cool. I guess, um, I guess you're not going back, then?"

There was silence on the other end for a moment, then; *I don't know, Xander. I might, but I don't really have any fight left in me right now.*

"Yeah, I understand. You've got every right to a little down time. Maybe even retirement. Besides, there's got to be another Slayer on the way to the Hellmouth, right?" Xander tried to make his voice sound cheerful, but even he knew he was failing miserably.

*You're going back, aren't you?*

"I kinda have to, Buff. Things are fine for now, but… I have to finish High School, for one thing, and there are a few other developments that are making San Francisco a temporary situation for me."

*I see…*

"Look. I'll be able to protect the Hellmouth, especially with another Slayer. I won't let anyone know where you are. You go ahead and have your life."

*Thanks, Xand.* Buffy's voice was breaking. She was crying.

"Anytime, Buff. I'll talk to you later."

***

Halliwell Manor, 30 Minutes Later

Xander sat in the kitchen, debating with himself what to do next. He wouldn't have enough money to provide for himself and Tara with the little he got from the government, and he would only get two more checks before his birthday, at which time he was on his own. He might be able to get a crappy job in Sunnyhell, but he still had the problem of providing for two instead of one. She would probably have to stay here, with his cousins. That would be best all around. Maintaining two apartments was pretty much out of the question, and she didn't seem outgoing enough to get a job that would pay well enough.

His thoughts were interrupted by the shy blonde. "H-hi, X-Xander."

He smiled at her. "Hey, Tara. What can I do for you?"

She smiled back. "A-actually, I w-was wondering i-if _you_ n-needed any help."

He shook his head. "Not unless you can come up with a way for me to get a ton of money all at once, or a big enough steady income before I graduate next year."

She shrugged. "S-sorry, no. U-unless m-magic would help."

He looked up. "What?"

"I-I'm a witch. I th-though you kn-knew."

He shook his head, dumbfounded.

"R-remember? My dad, wh-when he saw you m-make the fireb-ball, h-he said y-you were like m-me."

Xander thought back to the events a few hours before, and smacked his head when he remembered. "Damn. Should have caught that."

Her smile broadened. "Y-you were a b-bit b-busy."

He laughed, and nodded. "Okay… What kind of magic do you do?"

"Earth. H-healing, mostly. I c-can do s-some other th-things, though."

He nodded. Earth magic was one of the first things he had tried, but he had found it very difficult to perform on the Hellmouth. "Alright. That's good. Earth magic is the cleanest I know of."

She nodded. "M-my mother w-was teaching me, before sh-she died."

"When did that happen?"

"A-about s-six months a-ago."

His brow furrowed. "Wait. Six months?"

She nodded.

"What date? Exactly?"

"D-December e-eleventh."

He bolted from the room. "Phoebe!"

She looked up from the book she was reading. "Yeah? What?"

"When did Grams die? What date?"

She answered, but he already knew. "December eleventh."

"Fuck me sideways…"

"What is it?"

He shook his head. "I don't know, but Tara told me that her mother was teaching her magic, until she died. Take a wild guess when it happened."

Phoebe's eyes widened. "What?"

He nodded. "I'm not sure what it means yet, but I don't like it. If the Hellmouth has taught my anything, it's that there are _no_ coincidences." He ran a hand through his hair. "What I wouldn't give for Willy right now…"

"Who?"

"Guy who runs a bar in Sunnydale. He knows pretty much everything there is to know in town." He sighed. "I don't know anyone like that here, though. It's not as if the answer's just going to walk right through the door."

At that moment, Piper burst inside. "Jeremy's trying to kill me!"

Xander's eyes popped wide open in shock. "On the other hand…"

Piper ran over to them. "He had this stone knife! I don't know why, but-" She paused when she spotted Tara. "Who are you?"

Xander cut in. "She's a friend. I'll explain later. You said he had a stone knife? You mean an athame?"

She nodded. "Yeah, that's what it looked like."

Xander growled. "He must be a warlock."

Piper and Phoebe looked confused, while Tara looked fearful.

"What's a warlock?" Phoebe asked.

"Something I read about early on in my magical studies. They kill witches with athames in order to take their powers. They're leeches, just like vampires. The lowest form of magic users."

Tara nodded. "Th-that's how m-my mother w-was k-k-killed. I th-thought that m-maybe my f-father had done it, b-but now…"

Xander nodded. "Alright. Either this Jeremy has been working town for a while, or there's more than one warlock in town. I'm leaning towards the former, since warlocks don't tend to work in covens." He sighed. "We need to find Prue. You're stronger together than apart."

Piper looked confused. "You mean _we_, right?"

Xander shook his head. "No. You three have a lot of power, and it increases when you're in proximity to each other. I noticed it when you came in. Phoebe's power doubled, as did yours. And compared to what I felt when all three of you were in the house, even that's a simple drop in the bucket." He walked toward the door, and grabbed his jacket. "I'm going to find Prue. You all stay here." He quickly left.

Piper turned back to the other two, looking at Tara. "So, I'm still not clear on who you are."

Tara just smiled.

***

Xander performed a quick locator spell, getting a general direction of Prue's location. The sun was almost down, which meant the local night life would be feeding soon. He'd have to move quickly. Prue wasn't aware enough of the supernatural to defend herself.

***

Piper and Phoebe were reading the Book of Shadows, looking for a way to deal with a warlock, while Tara worked to set up wards around the manor. It wasn't her strong point, but she was doing her best.

Finally, Piper slammed the book closed in frustration. "Dammit! There's nothing!"

Phoebe sighed. "There's _got_ to be something. Xander said he read about warlocks, right? Obviously _someone_ knows about them."

"Someone! _Not_ the someone who wrote this damn book!"

At her words, the book flung open to the first page.

Phoebe read it. "The Power of Three will set you free." She paused. "Maybe that's what Xander meant! He said we're more powerful together!"

Piper thought for a moment, then shrugged. "It's possible, I suppose. Can't hurt to try. Of course, for _that_, we need Prue."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that."

Piper spun around to face the new voice. It was Jeremy, and he was holding his knife to Tara's throat.

He grinned. "Now, obviously, this one isn't the one I want. I want the Power of Three. And from what I've heard, it's best to kill all three of you at once. SO! I'll be waiting for you under the Golden Gate Bridge. Don't take too long." Without another word, he vanished.

Phoebe summed up the situation rather well. "Oh, shit."

***

Xander ran at full tilt. '_Prue's got to be around here somewhere. The spell pointed in this direction- Ah!_' He spotted her car and, amazingly enough for his luck, she was in it. He ran up, and knocked on the window. "We have to get back to the Manor!"

She nodded, and yelled, "Get in!"

He ran around, and jumped inside.

"Okay," she said. "What's going on?"

He gave a quick overview of the situation.

Her eyes, which were normally very strong and fearless, held a sudden terror. She pressed the gas pedal to the floor.

***

They pulled up in front of the Manor. As soon as they did, Phoebe and Piper came running out, and jumped in the backseat.

"What the hell?!" Xander exclaimed. "Where's Tara?"

"Jeremy took her hostage! He wants us to come to the Golden Gate Bridge!"

Xander snarled, the Hyena and Soldier inside him both baying for blood. Tara was Pack now, part of the unit. She had been as soon as Xander accepted responsibility for her. This would not stand. "Drive." He growled.

***

The Charmed Ones pulled up beneath the bridge, and got out. Jeremy came forward, still clutching Tara. "Alright! Away from the car!"

The sisters walked forward, slowly, until

"Close enough."

They stopped.

He smirked. "Knew you guys couldn't resist saving a fellow witch. White Hats never can." He put his hand on Tara's face. It glowed red for a moment, and she passed out. "There we are." He dropped her. "Her life-force is tied to mine now. I'll release her once I've killed you."

"And what makes you think you'll get that far?"

Jeremy looked to the side. Xander was standing there. "Where did you come from?"

Xander wore a feral grin. "Sunnydale, born and raised."

Jeremy was surprised. "The Hellmouth? Really? A Hellmouth-born witch? I've never had the pleasure of meeting one. I hear their power is almost unrivaled."

Xander smirked. "Is that a fact? I wouldn't know. I've only been practicing for a year. I'm used to working my problems out in… other ways."

Before Jeremy could wonder what that meant, Xander blurred. In less than a second, he had taken the athame, and was pressing it into the warlock's neck.

"That's not to say I'm above using it, of course."

Jeremy smirked. "It won't do you any good. If you kill me, you kill her." His eyes glanced toward Tara.

Xander shook his head. "You're not very bright, are you? Don't you know how this knife works? It allows you to take the life-force of the one you kill. So, guess what happens if I slit your throat."

Jeremy's eyes widened, fear evident in them. Then, he did something Xander didn't expect. He kneed Xander in the groin.

Xander backed up quickly, groaning.

Jeremy quickly shot towards Tara, only to be knocked back.

"What the hell?!"

"That would be me!" Prue called out with a smirk.

Jeremy snarled, and tried again… only to stop moving completely.

Xander blinked in surprise. "Uh… What just happened?"

Piper was smiling. "That's how I got away before."

Xander nodded, impressed. "Good. It'll make him easier to kill."

Phoebe spoke up. "Um, won't that bind Tara's life to you?"

Xander nodded. "Yeah… But unless you guys have a better idea?" His tone was hopeful.

Unfortunately, they all shook their heads.

He sighed. "Yeah, that's what I thought. I don't really see another option here." He moved in front of the warlock, and tapped him. Solid as a rock. "Okay… Piper, if you would?"

She nodded, and waved her hands. Jeremy unfroze. "What the- How did you get in front of me?"

Xander didn't bother speaking. He slashed at Jeremy with the knife.

Unfortunately, it looked like Jeremy had been working out. He dodged the blow easily, following up with a punch to Xander's ribs.

Xander caught the fist, throwing it away. He turned to the sisters. "Get Tara out of here!"

They nodded, and ran forward.

Xander turned back in time to see Jeremy's fist. A quarter inch from his face. He reeled back from the punch, but recovered quickly. He tackled the warlock, slamming him into the bridge. He followed up with a punch to Jeremy's ribs.

Jeremy punch back, catching Xander on the ear. Xander fell back, and Jeremy kept going. He landed another punch, this time to Xander's gut.

Xander, meanwhile, was keeping an eye on the girls. They were almost to the car. As soon as they were gone, he could stop worrying about distracting the Jeremy. He kicked out, intent on keeping the warlock focused on him for the moment.

Jeremy dodged, laughing. "This is too easy, witch. You need to step up your game a little bit. I mean, come on!"

Xander looked past Jeremy's shoulder, watching the taillights of Prue's car receding into the background. He smirked. "Sure thing." In the next second, Xander MOVED, and Jeremy found himself on the ground.

Xander's smirk grew. "Said it before, I'll say it again, you're not very bright, are you? If I was able to move that fast once, what makes you think I can't do it again?"

Jeremy growled, and tried to jump up, only to find Xander's boot in his face. "No, no, no. You don't get to get up. You," Xander bent over Jeremy's face "attacked a friend of mine." He straightened up, walking in a circle around the warlock. "Not the brightest move, I can tell you. Did you know I've been possessed twice?" He laughed. "The first time, was by a hyena primal spirit. The Alpha. Fascinating creature. Very Pack oriented. The second time was by a soldier. A grunt. I don't know if you're aware of this, but most soldiers rely very heavily on their unit. Not only that, but they protect their unit at the same time."

Xander paused here, looking Jeremy in the eye again. Xander's eyes flashed yellow for a second, and Jeremy… lost control of his bodily functions.

Xander laughed again. It was different this time. Higher-pitched, and more of a giggle. "And the BEST part is, I can call on it now! Both of them! Took me a while to learn. Haven't mentioned it to anyone, juuuuuust yet. The magic is a little… tricky. If I give too much, there's no telling what could happen…"

Jeremy eyed his opponent. He could probably take the younger man… If said younger man wasn't a) apparently insane, and b) in possession of two, count them, TWO other spirits.

Xander shook his head. "I know what you're thinking."

Jeremy arched an eyebrow. "Yeah? What?"

Xander smirked. "You're thinking that I'm crazy. That I'm not in control of my extra facilities. About right?"

Jeremy nodded.

Xander shrugged. "Well… You're _half_ right. I'm _probably_ insane. I mean, living on the Hellmouth, you end up a little unbalanced. Unfortunate side effect." He continued his circular walk, kicking out suddenly, catching Jeremy in the ribs. "I don't know about the other part, though. I mean, _I_ want to hurt you. The hyena seems to be agreeing, as well as soldier boy. But, are _they_ agreeing with _me_? OR," he kicked again, this time hitting Jeremy's face. "am _I_ being influenced by _them_?" A third kick, right to the gut. "Honestly, I don't know. And at this point," Kick number four, to the groin. "I don't really care." He grinned. "I wonder how many of soldier boys torture memories I can get through before you bleed to death." He produced the athame. "Truth be told, I _really_ want to find out. YOU!" He bolted forward, filling the warlock's vision. "DO! _NOT_! ATTACK! MY! PACK!" He backed off again. "Unfortunately, if I don't kill you quickly, Tara dies. You managed to do that much right. You guaranteed yourself a quick death. I can't bleed you out." He shrugged. "Of course, you'd be surprised what you can live through." He turned to face the bridge.

Jeremy jumped, rushing at Xander.

Xander sidestepped, allowing his enemy to collide with the bridge again. He shook his head. "_Still_ not learning. It's sad." He grabbed the warlock from behind, pinning both arms to Jeremy's back. "Let's begin, shall we?" He grabbed a pinky finger, and JERKED.

Jeremy cried out in pain.

"One down…" Xander grinned.

***

Four Hours Later

Xander sat on a stump, conveniently placed nearby, smoking a cigarette. He had found a pack on Jeremy. "Well, looks like we're about done. Don't you think?" He looked down at Jeremy's broken form.

Jeremy could only groan. Somehow, Xander had managed to keep him awake the entire time, never giving him enough pain to pass out. He would have been begging for death, if his jaw still worked.

Xander nodded. "Glad you can agree. Honestly, I can't think of anymore bones to break. And I already took your eyes…" He sighed. "Damn. Looks like our relationship is over." He took out the knife. "See you in hell. Pick out a nice spot for me." He drove it into Jeremy's heart, causing a white light to flow through it, and into Xander. He screamed, feeling all the power the warlock had stolen flow straight into him.

Once it was over, he staggered back, gasping for air. "Holy shit. No wonder he turned bad. That was a rush!" He looked at the knife. He had pulled it out when he reeled. He turned quickly, and threw it into the river.

Still gasping, he pulled out the cell phone Prue had given him, and called the manor. He needed to cleanse, in a bad way.

***

The Manor

Xander sat in his pentagram, letting the dark energies out. Part of him, the part that contained what little sanity he had left, was screaming. The things he had done tonight were… beyond what was necessary. The other side, the one that contained his spirits, as well as his own protective streak, argued that it would send a message. A brutal message, perhaps, but an effective one. Don't touch Xander's friends.

Sanity roared back. Those methods made him as bad as the things he fought. It wasn't right, and never would be.

Protective agreed. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. However, neither is life in general. _Especially_ for a demon hunter. Sometimes, things like that had to be done. It was a fact this side of his personality accepted.

Sanity fumed, but it _did_ quiet down.

Xander opened his eyes, tears falling freely. He felt… resigned. He just hoped none of the girls ever saw that side of him. He doubted they would be able to handle it.

As he stood up, he realized that he wasn't alone. He turned. Tara was standing in the doorway. "Um, hi." He said.

"H-hi."

"Is everything okay?"

She nodded. "You?"

He shrugged. "Fine. Nothing I can't handle."

She nodded again. "I h-hope s-so. I c-can see the c-conflict in y-your aura. Y-you did something th-that you d-didn't want to."

He shook his head. "No. I _did_ want to do it. That's what's wrong." He sighed. "Don't worry. I've got control. For now, at least. The hyena won't get out unless I let her."

Tara took a step inside the room. "Okay… i-if you're s-sure."

He nodded. "I am."

"G-good." She was silent for a moment, then, "So, is it true?"

He blinked. "What?"

She blushed. "Th-that y-you a-a-and I are… bonded." The last word was almost a whisper.

He winced. "Uh, yeah. I didn't know how to break his spell. This was all I could do."

She nodded. "It's okay. I underst-stand." She smiled. "D-don't worry about it."

He smiled back. "Okay. I won't." He sat on his bed. "So, have you thought about what you want to do?"

She nodded. "I w-want t-to g-go with y-you. T-to S-Sunnydale. I n-need to f-finish High Sch-school."

"Are you sure? The Hellmouth isn't the best place to live."

"Y-you're going."

He shrugged. "I was born to it. Can't imagine another place to be."

She sat next to him. "W-well, w-we _are_ tied t-together. P-permanently, as f-far as we kn-know."

Xander nodded, wincing again. "Yeah… And I _really_ am sorry about that. I mean, I'm a demon hunter. No telling how long I'll live."

She grabbed his hand. "D-don't think like th-that! Th-that's how y-you g-get killed!"

He shook his head. "No. That's how I stay alive. I go in assuming I'm going to die. That way, I don't have anything to lose." He thought for a moment. "Of course, that doesn't work anymore, does it? If I die, so do you."

She smiled sympathetically. "S-sorry f-for messing w-with your fighting s-style."

He laughed. "Thanks. I appreciate the thought." He sighed again. "Okay. So, we go back to Sunnyhell. By the end of the summer, at least. Probably sooner. You need to get enrolled, and I have to find a place to stay. And one for you, as well."

She shook her head. "No. I c-can st-stay w-with you."

His eyebrows went into his hairline. "Really? Well, as long as you don't mind my playboys…" He smirked.

She smirked back. "No. I d-don't mind at all."

Xander's jaw dropped. "Huh?"

"I'm b-bi. Well, m-mostly g-gay, b-but… I _did_ date a g-guy o-once, and I-I'm not _completely_ against the idea…"

Xander shook his head once to clear it, then again, ruefully. "Damn. I finally get a gorgeous woman to move in with me, and she's gay." He grinned. "Well, at least my luck is holding out."

She laughed, slightly. "I w-was th-thinking. You kn-know p-people in S-Sunnydale. M-maybe one of th-them c-could help? Set y-you and I up w-with jobs?"

He considered that. "It's possible. G-Man might be able to help. I'll have to call him. Tomorrow. I don't think I can stay awake anymore."

She nodded. "Okay. I-I'll just…" She moved to leave.

"Hold on." He stopped her. "You're sleeping here. _I've_ got the couch downstairs."

She shook her head. "You need the bed."

"No, I don't. Believe me, other than the numerous emotional scars I've accrued tonight, I'm fine. _You_, on the other hand, were kidnapped. You sleep _here_. Besides." He winked. "I don't need you seducing my cousins."

She laughed, and nodded. "A-alright. I-I'll see you t-tomorrow?"

"Count on it." He smiled warmly, and left the room.

***

Xander walked into the kitchen, looking for some warm milk before bed. He found it kept the nightmares to a minimum. The sisters were still awake, apparently having the same thought.

"Evening, ladies."

They all turned, and smiled at him. "Hey, Xander." Phoebe greeted him.

He yawned. "You guys okay?"

Piper snorted. "You're the one who did all the work, and you're asking if _we're_ okay?"

He shrugged. "Well, I know _I'm_ okay, for the most part, and I think Tara's okay." He smiled, calling up his abilities as a smart-ass. "That just leaves you. Unless there are more cousins of mine around here that I'm not aware of?"

They rolled their collective eyes. Prue spoke up. "Xander, you just killed that guy. Granted, it had to be done, and he would have killed us all if you didn't, I'm not disputing that. But, it has to be taking a toll."

He shook his head. "Not as much as you might think. I'll admit, part of me isn't happy about what I did tonight." '_Of course, that was more about the drawn out torture, than the actual killing._' "But, I'll be okay. Once you've had to kill your best friend because he's been turned into a vampire, everything else…" He shrugged. "Kinda pales in comparison."

The Charmed Ones' eyes shone with sympathy, but they didn't really have anything to say to that.

He gave them a lop-sided grin. "Really, I'll be okay. I'm a firm believer in ignoring my problems until they bite me in the ass."

The sisters smiled at him, and Piper walked around to give him a hug. "Don't ignore them for too long, okay? We like having you around."

Xander returned the hug, and said, "About that… I've got to go back to Sunnydale. Not right away, but soon. Tara's going with me."

"Why?" Asked Prue.

"Well, for one thing, we both have to finish school. For another, I have responsibilities there, chiefly protecting the Hellmouth."

Piper sighed, but nodded. "When?"

"I'm thinking I should start looking for a place, and a job, right away… I might be able to convince a friend of mine to set me up with something, but if not, best to start early. I've got to make sure Tara gets enrolled in school, as well. Again, my friend can help with that. He's on the faculty." He yawned. "Tomorrow. Right now, I just want some milk, and the couch."

Phoebe was confused. "Couch? But you have a room."

He shrugged. "Gave it to Tara. She needs it more than me right now."

He moved around the kitchen, preparing to heat up a cup of 2%. The other's eyes were on him. He turned. "What?"

They were smiling.

"What?"

Prue just shook her head. "You're a singular guy, Xand. Don't ever change."

He grinned. "Wasn't planning on it."

They chatted for a little while longer, then went on to bed. Tomorrow promised to be interesting.


End file.
